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Shifting Plasma

Strands of plasma at the sun's edge shifted and twisted back and forth over a 22-hour period (May 2-3, 2017). In this close-up, the strands are being manipulated by strong magnetic forces associated with active regions. This kind of activity is not at all uncommon, but best viewed in profile. The images were taken in a wavelength of extreme ultraviolet light. To give a sense of scale, the strands hover above the sun more than several times the size of Earth. Credit: Solar Dynamics Observatory, NASA.